inspection
of lifting gear

for example: this section should be related
to any type of lifting equipment.

legal
requirements

supply of new equipment

all new chain slings supplied within cen member
states fully comply with essential health and safety requirements
of the machinery safety directive 89/392/eec and amending directives
91/368/eec and 93/68/eec.

each country is bound to implement
these directives with national legislation e.g. in the republic
of ireland the applicable regulations are the supply of machinery
regulations 1992 and amendment in 1994, which fully applied from
1st january 1995 ????

use of new equipment

once a sling has been first put
into service with a cen member state, different eu directives
apply to its subsequent use.

these are the use of work equipment directive
and its amending directive 95/63/eec. member states are bound
to implement this directive with national regulations by 5th
december 1998 and in the republic of ireland these are s.i. number
????? of 1999, safety, health & welfare at work (general applications)
(amendment) regulations, 1999 and in the united kingdom these
are the lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations (loler)
which are part of the provision & use of work equipment regulations
(puwer) relevant to lifting equipment.

inspection of equipment

chain slings
should be checked before each period of use and the sling withdrawn
for service and referred to a competent person if any of
the following are observed.

identification tag or marking
missing or illegible.

distortion of the links, connectors
or hooks.

stretch in any of the chain
links.

wear in the chain, especially between adjoining
links. the mean diameter at any point should be no less than
90% of the nominal chain diameter.

signs of any
increase in the throat opening of hooks. this should not exceed
10% of the nominal value or be such as to allow the safety latch,
if fitted, to become disengaged.

thorough examination

it is a requirement of the new european standard
for grade 8 chain slings that a thorough examination should be
carried out by a competent person at intervals not exceeding twelve
months. this maximum interval may be less where legal requirements
differ throughout the european union. for example in ireland
and the uk the majority of industry sectors apply a maximum interval
of six months.

where slings are in constant
use, or the conditions of use are severe, it is advisable to
carry out more regular examinations.

never attempt on-site repair
of slings.

lhs will carry out the examination
and any necessary repair, and provide a suitable record for
you to enter in your register of lifting equipment (see c.l.a.s.s.
inspection & certification service).

before first use

no
sling should be put into use until a valid manufacturers certificate
and ec declaration of conformity is to hand.

check
that the sling is precisely as ordered and that all chain and
components are marked and grade 8.

check
that all identification references and working load limits marked
on the sling correspond with the information on the manufacturers
certificate.

enter details of the sling in the register of
lifting equipment.

ensure that
personnel who are to use the sling have received appropriate
instruction and training. an instruction leaflet “safe use
of chain slings” should be supplied with each new sling.

before each use

before each
use a sling should be subject to inspection with a visual check
on the condition of the chain sling to identify obvious damage
or deterioration which might affect its fitness for use. withdraw
the sling from service if in any doubt.

limitations on use

due to risk
of embrittlement, slings should not be used in acid or caustic
solutions nor in heavily acidic or caustic laden atmospheres.
in uncertain conditions consult your distributor.

slings must
not be heat-treated, galvanised, plated, coated or subject to
any process involving heating or pickling. each of these processes
can have dangerous effects and will invalidate the manufacturers
certificate.

slings may be
used at temperatures down to –40°c with no reduction in the working
load limit. the use of chain slings within the permissible temperature
range in the table below does not require any permanent reduction
in working load limit when the chain sling is returned to normal
temperatures. a sling accidentally exposed to temperatures in
excess of the maximum permissible should be withdrawn from service
immediately and returned to the distributor for thorough examination.

sling
temperature

reduction in
working load limit

-40°c to 200°c

none

200°c to 300°c

10%

300°c to 400°c

25%

above 400°c

do not use

when using slings in exceptionally hazardous conditions,
the degree of hazard should be assessed by a competent person
and the working load limit adjusted accordingly. examples are
the lifting of persons and lifting of potentially dangerous loads
such as molten metals, corrosive materials or fissile material
and including certain offshore activities.

in use

never exceed the working load
limit (wll) marked on the sling.

strictly observe the marked
restriction on the angle of the sling legs.

take into consideration
the cumulative effect of de-rating depending on the method of
slinging to ensure that the chain sling selected has a working
load limit (wll) equal to or greater than the mass to be lifted.

ensure that the master link
articulates freely on the hook of the crane or other lifting appliance.

the crane hook should be positioned
over the centre of gravity of the load and the sling rigged from
that point, using shortening clutches for leg adjustment where
necessary.

make sure that the load is free to move
and is not bolted or held down in any way. check also that there
are no obstacles to making the lift.

do not
leave a suspended load unattended.

when a chain is used in choke
hitch i.e. with the sling legs passed around the load and
hooked or linked back onto the chain the working load limit (wll)
of the chain sling should be no more than 80% of that marked.

the working load limits stated in en 818-4
have been determined on the basis that the loading of the chain
sling is symmetrical. this is when the sling legs are symmetrically
(i.e. equally) disposed in plan and all have the same angle to
the vertical. for unequally loaded chain slings the lift should
be referred to a competent person to establish a safe rating for
the chain sling. alternatively in the case of asymmetric loading,
the chain sling should be rated at half the marked wll.